You're everything on my list
by Alecto Perdita
Summary: It's December 24th. Thanks to a blizzard, Jounouchi misses his connecting flight to LA but reconnects with an old acquaintance.


The air, stale and recycled to scrub out the press of humanity, nearly vibrated. The tension indoors was almost as thick as the snow falling outside. Travelers all around him stewed together in a marinade of anxiety, anger, and anticipation. Jounouchi was too jetlagged to feel anything beyond the bone-deep fatigue dragging his every step. Not that he would get anywhere soon. Nobody would. Not in this line crawling toward the customer service counter and definitely not out of this airport being buried under almost half a meter of snow.

He spent most of his time trying to access the airport's shitty "free wifi." Yuugi must have some sense of the delay by now, but Jounouchi wanted to send a LINE message to reassure his friend. Occasionally, he'd glance at the screen, where every flight flashed by with the same status in bright, fire-truck red. After arriving at the airport hours/forever ago, he became intimately acquainted with the English word "delayed." Now Jounouchi would have nightmares of its even more dire sibling: "canceled."

A harsh-sounding string of English jarred Jounouchi from his sleepy reverie. He couldn't catch most of it as his grasp of the language remained rudimentary, but there was something familiar about the tone. He peeked over the woman in front of him to the current customer at the head of the line. The man was only slightly taller than Jounouchi, but he used every extra centimeter to intimidate the lone employee manning the counter.

"Sir, there is nothing more I can do," the frazzled airline employee insisted. Another announcement about another flight cancellation drowned out the rest of her sentence, but whatever she said clearly didn't appease the tall man with neat chestnut brown hair and an expensive-looking wool coat. He bent so far over the countertop that Jounouchi's back ached in sympathy.

"This is unacceptable," he hissed, spinning Jounouchi up in another round of deja vu.

"Yelling at her won't change anything, you jerk," Jounouchi said in Japanese and louder than he intended.

Having worked his share of retail jobs, he didn't think it fair that she had to deal with an overbearing bastard when she certainly didn't control the weather any more than the rest of them.

What he didn't expect was the man to spin on his heel and shoot back a "mind your own business" also in Japanese. Nor did Jounouchi expect to come face-to-face with his old nemesis, Kaiba Seto, under the festive lighting of Terminal 3 at O'Hare International Airport.

-x-x-x-

Nearly an hour later, Jounouchi was re-booked on an early morning flight to LAX. The employee had been patient and kind despite his limited English, having recognized that he tried to stand up to Kaiba. It looked like he'd spend the night at the airport. He didn't have it in him to attempt another conversation in stilted English to book a room even if he had the money to spare. He decidedly didn't, which is why he'd chosen an international flight with a stopover in Chicago—all in the name of saving 10,000 yen.

He pulled his thin jacket tighter and rubbed his arms to fend off the chill. He could swear the airport had the air conditioning running. He eyed the other passengers swaddled in puffy jackets and hoodies with envy. There was nothing more he could do about that. Even if he pulled his checked luggage, he'd packed for California in December, not sub-zero Chicago.

When someone decamped from the power station near the gate, Jounouchi scrambled into the vacant space. His phone's battery was dangerously low, and he had yet to get in contact with Yuugi.

"Sorry," he muttered to the surly teenager he squeezed past to reach the last open outlet. His phone gave a cheerful ping as he plugged it in. The semi-apologetic smile dropped off his face when he looked across the circular table into Kaiba's steely blue gaze.

Kaiba ignored him and returned to typing on his phone, giving Jounouchi the chance to unabashedly study him more. Running into Kaiba at a random American airport was surreal. Jounouchi last saw Kaiba at their high school graduation years and years ago. Soon after, the Kaiba brothers moved to America on a semi-permanent basis. Even while they both continued to play Duel Monsters for another few years after graduation, they rarely went to the same tournaments.

Jounouchi hated to admit it, but Kaiba had grown into his looks. In their teens, Kaiba was all gangly limbs and sharp angles. No matter how he dressed or acted, he couldn't shed the air of someone not wholly at home in his body. Kaiba at age 26 seemed no less arrogant, but certain contours had blunted, and it softened his overall image. Like, was Kaiba's hair always that fluffy looking?

It was probably a bad idea, but it could be many years before he would see Kaiba again. They lived on two different continents and led separate lives.

"Where are you headed?" he directed the question in Japanese across the table, so there was no question whom he was addressing.

Kaiba's fingers stilled then twitched. He knitted his eyebrows together, watching Jounouchi from under long lashes. The longer he stared, the more a warm flush crawled up the back of Jounouchi's neck into his hairline. God, Jounouchi should have kept his mouth shut.

"San Francisco," Kaiba eventually replied.

Jounouchi nodded. So they were headed in the same direction—if San Francisco was in California like he thought. "Cool, I'm going to Los Angeles to visit—"

"Yuugi," Kaiba interrupted and straightened to lock eyes with him.

"And Anzu," he reminded the other man.

"Of course."

Jounouchi waited for Kaiba to look away again and ignore him. Instead, Kaiba laid his phone down and gave Jounouchi his full attention. The flush sweeping across the back of his neck flooded his cheeks in response. Fuck, he didn't use to be this hopeless around Kaiba. Before he knew it, the words came tumbling out of his mouth. "Isn't this crazy though? It's been what? Like eight years! I can't believe we're stranded in the same airport. Can you believe it? And it's Christmas Eve!"

He snapped his mouth shut, hoping a hole would open underneath him and swallow him whole. Even the teenager next to him visibly cringed and shuffled three half-steps away from Jounouchi.

Apparently, embarrassing word vomit transcended language barriers.

An odd expression settled over Kaiba's face. It was neither hostile nor mocking. Jounouchi rubbed the back of his neck, and his eyes darted down to his phone. It was now charged to 43% while his LINE message remained stuck in "sending" status. When the silence dragged on a second too long for comfort, he added, "I didn't know you took planes like a normal person."

"First class," Kaiba corrected with a hint of a smirk.

Jounouchi rolled his eyes. "Right. You haven't changed at all."

"Neither have you, Jounouchi."

His heart fluttered at the sound of his name on Kaiba's lips.

-x-x-x-

The crowds thinned out by the winter's early sunset, but a dozen or more travelers camped out by the gate, spread across the rows of uncomfortable pleather seats. Jounouchi guessed they all had the same plan as him: spend the night at the airport. To his surprise, Kaiba also stayed.

Jounouchi slid into the seat one over from Kaiba, leaving an empty one between them. "Shouldn't you get to your hotel?"

"Every room in a five-mile radius was booked hours ago," Kaiba sighed.

"Well, that sucks. Guess you're stuck here with us plebs."

Kaiba turned to scowl out the vast windows, where snow continued to fall under the bright floodlights. Every so often, a small army of snowplows would cruise by in a Sisyphean effort to keep the runways from being completely buried. Jounouchi wondered where they'd move the snow to.

"So it would seem. Mokuba was at least understanding of the situation."

Ah, while that didn't excuse Kaiba's earlier behavior, it did explain it. Kaiba had always been prone to extremes when it came to his little brother. It was one of his better points.

"Huh, I wouldn't have guessed Mokuba would still be so gung-ho about Christmas at his age," Jounouchi smiled wistfully, thoughts drifting to Shizuka when they were much, much younger.

"It's his girlfriend I'm more concerned with," Kaiba admitted. "She's American, and given the emphasis they place on the holidays, I wanted to make a good impression."

It was sweet how Kaiba still held his brother in high esteem.

Jounouchi laughed. "Relax, Kaiba. I doubt Rebecca will care that much."

"Rebecca?"

"Uh, yeah, Mokuba's girlfriend."

At Kaiba's blank look, Jounouchi fished out his phone and opened Instagram. A post from mokuba sat at the top of his feed. The selfie showcased Mokuba and Rebecca Hopkin, hugging and beaming, with part of a decorated Christmas tree as their backdrop. He passed his phone to Kaiba.

After studying the image for a bit, Kaiba said, "We haven't been officially introduced to one another."

"Okay, I'm guessing, but she's been in like every post for the last three months, see?" he reached over and opened Mokuba's profile. From there, he pulled up the timeline of Mokuba's Instagram.

Kaiba scrolled back through the dozens of images with Mokuba and Rebecca, before pausing over one of himself and his brother. "I knew he spent a lot of time on social media..."

When Kaiba lifted his gaze from the phone, his words trailed off into silence. The final syllables puffed warm exhales across Jounouchi's cheek. At that moment, Jounouchi realized how close they sat; their knees bumping as they angled their bodies toward each other, their elbows and shoulders barely grazing as they stretched into the empty seat between them, and Kaiba's cobalt eyes glimmering like uncut gemstones under the Christmas light.

Jounouchi jerked back, slapping on a nervous grin and babbled, "Haha, sounds about right. You know Mokuba. Or just kids these days. Well, it's really everyone these days. You don't seem to have any. Unless you've got some super-secret Finsta or something."

"Finsta?"

"Uh, fake Instagram account?"

"No, I really don't."

When Kaiba returned the phone, Jounouchi was careful to avoid touching him again. After fiddling with the device for several more seconds, he looked back at Kaiba to find the other man watching him in return. He cleared his throat, set his phone face down on his lap, and drummed his fingers along the back.

"So how have you been?" he asked.

Kaiba almost startled before pulling a disgruntled expression. "We're going to do this?"

He shrugged, hoping the show of nonchalance would cover up how nervous he felt. "Man, I haven't seen you in like a decade. You're not on social media, and you don't show up on the news as often as you used to. So yeah, I gotta ask the old-fashioned way."

"What's there to tell? We moved here to expand the business and so Mokuba could attend an American school. The company is doing better than ever. Mokuba's graduated. He's settled into life here. We stayed." Kaiba's tone was even and borderline polite. It was almost surreal.

"C'mon, there's gotta be more you can tell me," he wheedled.

Kaiba narrowed his eyes. They glinted with a familiar suspicion. "I don't understand why you'd care."

"It's a good way to kill some time. The wifi's shit. And it's not like you got anything better to do. We're stuck here in the middle of a freaking blizzard." He gestured wildly to the complete white-out on the other side of the window panes. If anything, Jounouchi swore the storm was getting heavier and worse. At this rate, flights might still be canceled in the morning. He did not look forward to another day of squatting at an American airport. But what choice did either of them have?

Despite the overenthusiastic AC, Jounouchi's forehead grew damp and clammy. Eight freaking years. It'd been eight whole years since they last saw each other. Who knew when their next meeting might happen. He was not going to let this rare opportunity pass him by.

Kaiba's gaze drifted back toward the window, furrowing his brows, before returning to Jounouchi. He uncrossed his long legs, which seemed to go on for miles in those tailored pants, and rose to his feet.

Jounouchi slumped in his seat. Guess he pushed too hard. He watched mournfully as the other man started to walk away.

Kaiba stopped as soon as he crossed the carpet and stepped onto the laminate floor outside of the gate's seating area. With a glance over his shoulders, he asked, "Well, are you coming or not? I need a drink if you insist on small talk."

Jounouchi jumped to his feet and scooped his backpack off the floor. Kaiba had walked past the neighboring gate, so Jounouchi jogged to catch up to his long strides. As they searched for a bar, Jounouchi took note of how the crowd from earlier had mostly dissipated. Without the constant din of PA announcements, it was finally possible to hear the Christmas music playing from the kiosks and storefronts they passed. Combine that with the festive Christmas lights, Jounouchi supposed he could be stuck in worse places.

He peered at his companion out of the corner of his eyes.

Or with worse people.

Kaiba led him to a bar that sat at the intersection of several concourses. The interior was dim and moody, mostly lit by the glowing shelves of liquor behind the circular bar. There was even a piano sans pianist, from which the musical notes of what he assumed was more Christmas music drifted. Kaiba strolled past the piano and the high top tables set up for groups of two and four. Without checking to see if Jounouchi was still behind him, he took a seat at the bar and called the bartender with a crook of his finger. Jounouchi peered at the piano playing itself before scrambling into the chair next to Kaiba.

The bartender, a pretty brunette with brown hair several shades darker than Kaiba's, laid a leather-bound menu in front of each of them. With a bright smile that was at least one part genuine, she said, "I'll give you gentlemen a few minutes to look over the menu."

Kaiba pushed his menu aside. "No need. Whiskey, neat."

She nodded. "You okay with Glenfiddich?"

Kaiba nodded in assent.

Then she turned to Jounouchi. "What can I get you for you, sir?"

Jounouchi jolted and looked up dumbly from his menu. It wasn't long; just two pages plastered on either side on the inside of the leather portfolio. But everything was written in English with not a single number to be found. Shit, wasn't that what the fancy restaurants did? Hide their prices because you shouldn't care how much something costs if you were there.

"Uh..." He threw a panicked look at Kaiba, who made a vaguely amused expression. Asshole. He probably found it funny to watch Jounouchi sweat.

"What do you usually drink?" Kaiba asked in Japanese with an infuriating smirk still on his lips.

"Beer, I guess."

"Sapporo?"

"Asahi."

"Same difference," Kaiba rolled his eyes. Then he spoke to the bartender again and ordered something in English that Jounouchi didn't recognize. At the same time, he produced a black card from seemingly nowhere, which he passed to the bartender between two long, perfectly manicured fingers. Before Jounouchi could reach for his wallet and dig out some cash, the bartender swept away to collect glasses and bottles.

"Uh, where's she going? I haven't paid yet."

"I opened a tab. Don't worry about it," said Kaiba as a glass of amber liquor was deposited in front of him first.

Jounouchi tore his attention from watching the bartender at the beer taps to stare at Kaiba with wide eyes. "You don't gotta—"

"It's on the company's dime if that'll make you feel better."

"Which you own." Jounouchi couldn't help but laugh.

"I assure you my motives are purely selfish. I rather not listen to you butcher the English language. Or explain how the bills work."

Kaiba tipped his glass at Jounouchi before taking a sip. The whiskey left a wet sheen on his thin lips. The blue of Kaiba's eyes turned electric, reflecting the bar's back-lighting. Jounouchi's heart started pounding at the sight. He was saved from gawking or saying something stupid when the bartender returned with his beer. He clamped both hands around the cool glass, still dewy with condensation, and took a deep gulp. The cold brew was a relief to his suddenly parched throat, but it did little to stave off the hot flush sweeping up the back of his neck.

He hoped the bar's blue and white color scheme made him appear less red than he felt.

"Does it suit your taste?" Kaiba asked.

"Yeah, it's fine. It's beer." Jounouchi set his glass down a little too forcefully and sloshed it. He muttered a curse and grabbed napkins from a nearby dispenser to wipe up his spilled beer. When he looked up from his cleaning, he caught Kaiba watching him. "What is it?"

"Simply marveling at how little you've changed, deadbeat."

At the sound of the old insult, irritation welled in Jounouchi. He crumpled the damp napkins and dropped them on top of the bar. The bartender immediately swept in, removed them to the trash, and vanished just as quickly.

"Probably more than you think. Otherwise, I would've decked you already," he shot back.

"True. You would have tried. So tell me, Jounouchi, what have you been doing?"

The use of his name calmed some of Jounouchi's previous ire. He glanced at Kaiba out of the corner of his eyes and watched Kaiba's Adam's apple bob when he sipped more whiskey. "You really want to know?"

"You insisted on 'catching up.' If not, I'm happy to sit here in silence and drink."

"Oh, you're not getting away that easily."

Jounouchi gave him a toothy grin that seemed to throw Kaiba off. But the other man quickly hid his mouth behind his glass and smoothed the expression from his face. With his other hand, he gestured for Jounouchi to continue with a magnanimous wave. Jounouchi took another gulp of his beer for liquid courage and found himself picking up his life's story since they last saw each other.

After graduation, their group had scattered to the four corners of the world. The Kaiba brothers, although they would vehemently deny being part of said group, were not the only ones to go abroad. Anzu left for New York like she always dreamed. Bakura left Domino to attend university in Tokyo. Yuugi and Otogi regularly traveled, one for adventure and one for work. Even though Honda remained in Domino, Jounouchi and he saw much less of each other as they transitioned into life as working adults. Jounouchi will never admit to anyone, least of all Kaiba, how that first year of turbulent change threw him through a loop.

An idle comment from Shizuka had saved him.

"I wished you didn't live so far away, Onii-chan."

It had hit him then. He didn't have to stay in Domino anymore. He already left his old man's place. He didn't have to leave the country like the Kaibas or Anzu for a change of scenery. He could move closer to his sister. Maybe make up for some of those years they'd lost with each other. To his surprise, his mom hadn't objected when he ran the plan by her. She even hesitantly extended an invitation for him to move in with them. Jounouchi had declined the offer, knowing that was a bridge too far for them then.

So a few months after graduation, Jounouchi packed up and moved to Sasebo to be with his sister.

"Sasebo?" Kaiba's eyes widened. His lips parted in a small o of surprise.

"Yeah, what's it to you?"

Kaiba's gaze fell back to his half-empty glass. A faint frown marred his features. His eyes slid between his drink and Jounouchi several times before he answered, "Mokuba and I were from Sasebo."

It took Jounouchi several long moments to realize what he meant. Kaiba was talking about _before;_ before the two brothers were Kaibas. "Wow, weird coincidence."

Kaiba merely grunted in reply.

Jounouchi thought it was best not to linger on the subject for too long. Although Kaiba had acknowledged the fact, it was clear to see something about it discomforted him. Jounouchi focused on recounting those three years where he lived in Nagasaki. He did eventually make peace with his mom, but mostly he was grateful for the time he got to spend with Shizuka, watching her grow into a kind and confident young woman.

"You're very proud of her," Kaiba observed. By then, he was mostly done with his whiskey. Either way, it was enough to lend his movements an extra note of languidness Jounouchi wasn't used to seeing.

"You betcha!" He dug out his phone and pulled up a recent photo from when he last visited Shizuka in Tokyo. Her vibrant auburn hair, long since cut short into a bob to better accommodate her profession, was bundled under a surgery cap. The frumpy blue scrubs flattered nobody, but she made it work. A face mask hung around her neck, and she smiled at the camera while flashing a peace sign with her gloved fingers.

Kaiba leaned close to study the photo. Did he even remember Jounouchi's sister from those brief interactions during Battle City? "Is she still in school?" he asked softly.

Jounouchi nodded vigorously. "Yep. She's studying medicine at Keio, and she's graduating next year. She's going to be a surgeon."

Kaiba arched an elegant eyebrow. "Impressive."

Even more impressive was how he resisted making a jab at Jounouchi. Whatever. He beamed at his sister's photo while Kaiba flagged the bartender for a second drink.

"Yeah, I guess. Didn't Mokuba go to some fancy college? God, I can't even pronounce it."

"CalTech," Kaiba clicked his tongue against his teeth before elaborating, "California Institute of Technology."

"Damn, that's long." Jounouchi scrunched his nose. Although he didn't mind listening to the complicated words roll off Kaiba's tongue in that deep gravelly tone. He reached for his half-finished beer, but a sudden thought caused him to snort in an undignified manner. At least he didn't get any of his drink up his nose.

"Hey, Kaiba." He scooted closer so he could bump Kaiba's shoulder with his own. Kaiba startled so badly that he almost spilled his new drink. "Both of our younger siblings have outdone our stupid high-school graduate asses. If I'm a deadbeat, what does that make you?"

"I do run a multinational corporation," protested Kaiba.

"And I run the game shop," Jounouchi fired back.

It may be small fry to Kaiba, but Jounouchi was proud of what he'd accomplished. He loved the Turtle Game Shop. During high school, it had been his haven—the first place that truly felt like home.

That caught Kaiba by surprise. "Since when?"

"Since Yuugi moved out here to be with Anzu. His gramps is spending his twilight years traveling again. Pretty sure him and Professor Hopkins are working through their bucket lists."

"And you haven't burned it to the ground?" Kaiba asked. His lazy amusement dulled any intended insult.

"Fuck you," huffed Jounouchi. Though, the corners of his mouth twitched up in a smile.

Kaiba muttered something unintelligible in English. Whatever he said caused their bartender to laugh. Jounouchi let the tinkling sound and the pink of Kaiba's cheeks warm him.

-x-x-x-

Jounouchi slumped over and kicked his legs out in a stretch. When his sneakers kicked Kaiba's shin, the other man nudged him out of his personal bubble. With a smile directed into the bartop, Jounouchi hooked a foot around one of the legs of Kaiba's bar-stool and pulled it close. Kaiba swore, the momentum knocking him into Jounouchi. Jounouchi took advantage of the new closeness to snake an arm around Kaiba's shoulders and to press his cheek against Kaiba's warm coat. Three beers left him feeling loose-limbed and warmer than he'd felt in hours. He was seriously underdressed for this winter blizzard bullshit.

"Off, Jounouchi, or I'll beat you with a rolled-up newspaper," Kaiba ordered.

Jounouchi laughed, but Kaiba's wool-covered shoulder muffled the sound. "Dude, you're the one barking."

"Are you drunk? That's the only explanation. I would never have pinned you for a lightweight."

Kaiba must also be drunker than he'd admit. Mainly because he hadn't already thrown Jounouchi out of his seat and beaten him into the floor.

He released Kaiba and flopped back over the bar, lifting his head to stare at the rows and rows of liquor bottles. "Fuck. I guess I haven't eaten since this morning. Last night. Ugh, whatever. The time difference always fucks with me."

His stomach growled. Now that he thought about it, he was starving. He cast a bleary eye at the discarded menu and wondered if he could make enough heads or tails of English to order anything to eat. Maybe Kaiba's generosity only extended to alcohol. Since it was Christmas, Jounouchi couldn't help but crave the standard "party barrel" he shared with Shizuka or Honda most years.

He straightened up, swiveled in his seat, and grabbed Kaiba's wrist in the act of reaching for his glass. "We're in America!" he exclaimed.

Kaiba stared at him for several seconds and then honest-to-god snorted. "Yes, we are. I'm telling Brittney to cut you off."

"Who?"

"The bartender."

"Psheeh, I dun care." A wide grin crept across his lips, and he edged closer as if to share some secret. "We're in America, the home of KFC. We _need _to get fried chicken."

Kaiba blinked owlishly. "You're serious?"

"Hell yeah! Let's go. It'll be my treat!" Jounouchi stumbled out of his bar-stool. He managed to catch himself on the chair back before face-planting first into the floor. When Kaiba didn't immediately leave his seat, Jounouchi took him by the elbow and tried to pull him to his feet.

"One second. I need to close the tab."

"Hurry up then!"

Jounouchi bounced excitedly on his heel as Kaiba called for the bartender, who swiftly rang up the bill. While Kaiba signed the receipt, he and the bartender, Brittney, continued to converse. Jounouchi wasn't sure about what, as the rapid exchange in English flew right over his head. He had a hard enough time understanding the language when he was stone-cold sober. But whatever the discussion, it ended with the bartender winking at Kaiba and patting him on one cheek. Kaiba thrust several green bills (then again, they were _all_ green) in her direction and quickly backed away from the bar.

"Merry Christmas," she called after them as they made a beeline toward the exit.

Once again, Jounouchi found himself running to catch up. "What was that? Do you know her or something?"

"No."

"But she winked at you. She touched you!"

Kaiba still wouldn't meet his eye as they stepped out into the concourse. "Americans. They're all that touchy. Now, do you want your damn chicken or not? I asked her for directions. There's supposed to be a KFC in the next terminal over."

It took almost half-an-hour to cut across the airport to reach the food court that housed said KFC. By the time they arrived, Jounouchi was ready to keel over from hunger. Despite it being dinner hours during the local time, the food court was mostly empty. They weaved between the many empty tables to walked up to the ordering counter. Jounouchi swiveled his head around and back, taking in the lights and garlands strung across the shop signs and ordering counters. Still, he found no pictures or advertisements for party barrels he was used to seeing during the holidays.

So with a fair amount of miming and stilted English, Jounouchi ordered two fried chicken meals with sides of coleslaw. Kaiba hung back and smirked at him the entire time. But he did step in to help with the bills and coins when Jounouchi paid for the food.

"I would've figured it out." Jounouchi pouted.

Kaiba hovered behind him—a warm and palpable weight at his back. "I prefer to eat sometime this century."

Jounouchi flipped him off for good measure, and Kaiba chuckled before finally moving away. Waiting for the food gave Jounouchi several blessed minutes to calm his racing heart and gather his whirlwind thoughts. He kept rubbing the tips of his overheated ears, where Kaiba had leaned in to speak to him. Maybe drinking and hanging out with Kaiba wasn't the best idea.

To say the food was disappointing would be an understatement. None of it felt sufficiently Christmas-y. But the company made up for some of it, even if Kaiba rolled his eyes when Jounouchi voiced his complaints. Jounouchi had no idea how Kaiba managed to eat fried chicken with a plastic fork and knife. He wondered if that was something they taught all the rich kids. At the very least, the grease, breading, and meat went a long way to sobering Jounouchi up.

He tried not to let the mediocre quality of airport food court food get to him. He may be in a different country, but he could still celebrate Christmas right. Except there was not a single bakery to be found. There wasn't much of anything open at O'Hare past 8 PM local time.

"I can't believe this bullshit," Jounouchi grumbled unhappily. He shoved his hands deep in his pockets, kicking thin air in frustration.

The screech of his sneaker heels dragging across the linoleum grated like nails down a chalkboard. He and Kaiba winced in unison, as did a few other passing travelers. A meter and a half ahead, Kaiba pivoted on his heels and glared, but Jounouchi shrugged off the glower. He got Kaiba to hang with him for almost three whole hours, which must be some kind of world record.

Well, drinking probably helped.

Jounouchi also stopped walking and stepped to the side, between two storefronts, to avoid an airport employee towing a train of luggage carts.

"Will you stop pouting? I swear you're worse than Mokuba when he was ten," Kaiba huffed.

At some point during dinner, he'd shed his long coat, which now rested draped over one arm. It seemed he still favored those form-fitting turtlenecks from their youth, and he made them look even better than when they were sixteen. Between that and the slim, tailored trousers that, well, accented his ass, Jounouchi didn't mind trailing behind the taller man for once.

Jounouchi tore his gaze from the card locket around Kaiba's neck, lifting it to meet Kaiba's blue eyes. They were less electric than at the bar but still contained a smidgen of unfamiliar warmth. Maybe Jounouchi wasn't as sober as he thought. Instead, he chose to focus on the more pressing issue because his current train of thought would lead him nowhere productive.

"It's Christmas, and there's no party barrels or Christmas cakes! That's like a travesty! Or a war crime!" He gesticulated wildly, hoping to get his point across.

Kaiba furrowed his brow in confusion. "Why would there be?"

"Because it's Christmas!" he protested.

They stared at each other down the length of the corridor. Then Kaiba cracked into a smirk, hiding it behind one hand just as Jounouchi swore it was about to transform into a full-blown, honest-to-god grin. Jounouchi was so stunned by the transition that he almost missed Kaiba's next question.

"You do know Americans don't eat cake or KFC for Christmas, right?"

"What?! Where the hell did we get that stuff from then?"

"Short answer? Marketing. If not for the 'Party Barrels' and the white lie they sold that this was traditional western fare, KFC in Japan would have probably failed as a business. Christmas isn't precisely secular here," explained Kaiba, his bemusement evident in his tone and bright eyes.

Kaiba was probably telling the truth. He was the one who'd spent the better part of a decade living in this country. Still, Jounouchi couldn't help but feel like someone had pulled the rug out from under him. Or maybe it was the combination of jetlag, alcohol, and sudden homesickness that bowled him over.

"So what? I've been lied to my entire life?!" screeched Jounouchi, aware how hysterical he sounded but it was an out-of-body experience. "What is traditional then?"

"Turkey. Ham. Eggnog. Sugar cookies. And..."

Kaiba flicked his gaze to something above Jounouchi's head. Several emotions flashed across his face, too fast for Jounouchi to decipher, before settling on determined. Kaiba swept toward him, grasped his chin, and bent forward to press their mouths together. Jounouchi stopped breathing. His heart stuttered. He froze, rooted to his spot as Kaiba's lips caressed his. Fried chicken. Smoky whiskey. Peppermint chapstick. Jounouchi barely tasted those flavors before Kaiba pulled away. He straightened, and his warm hands fell away, but Jounouchi could still feel the touch scorching his skin like a brand.

"Mistletoe," Kaiba muttered.

Jounouchi craned his neck to gape at the bundle of green tied together with a bright red ribbon. Then he dropped his astonished gaze back to Kaiba's unreadable face.

Okay, mistletoes. Jounouchi knew about that from American movies, but Kaiba didn't have to give a practical demonstration. Not that Jounouchi minded. But why? The only sound to escape his tight throat was a squeak.

Kaiba sighed. It was a foreign sound that should have shocked Jounouchi, who was already too stunned. The corner of his eyes and mouth crinkled to accentuate the faint frown and stress lines that didn't use to be there. He dragged a hand over his face and murmured something about living too long in "this godforsaken country." Without meeting Jounouchi's eyes, Kaiba shrugged on his coat again and stepped away.

The click of loafer heels and the wool slapping his knees snapped Jounouchi out of his stupor. "Wait!" he exclaimed, heart pounding and palms sweaty, before grabbing Kaiba's sleeve.

"Forget it, deadbeat," he ordered through gnashing teeth.

"Like hell, I will."

Jounouchi spun Kaiba by the lapel of his coat and dragged him in for another kiss.

-x-x-x-

When Kazuki, Jounouchi's part-timer at the game shop, asked what he had planned for the holidays, that week before he flew out to America, Jounouchi gave a short list: visiting friends; enjoying all that LA had to offer in terms of food, weather, and culture; the beach; celebrating the new year with true American flair. Never in a million years did he imagine making out with Kaiba Seto in the wheel-chair accessible stall of a men's restroom in Chicago would make that list.

"Shit," Jounouchi snarled, breath hitching but determined not to be outdone as he bit Kaiba's lower lip.

Kaiba tightened his grip, pinning Jounouchi's wrists firmly to the wall. The tiles, once cold but now rapidly warming, dug into Jounouchi's back. Jounouchi arched upward, straining to press closer to Kaiba's tall frame. Other than their mouths and the fingers encircling his wrists, Kaiba was doing a good job of minimizing full body contact. It drove him crazy. A low whine ripped from his throat before Kaiba swallowed the noise with a roll of his tongue.

"Quiet. Or someone will hear you," whispered Kaiba.

Jounouchi rolled his eyes. Please. Two sets of feet visible under the stall door would give them away before any noise. Hell, there were whole centimeters of a gap between the door and its frame. God, America was so fucking weird. It was like they never heard of privacy. Whatever. Jounouchi had better things to do than navel-gaze the American psyche.

Namely, Kaiba Seto.

Eventually, Kaiba loosened his hold long enough for Jounouchi to break free and thread his arms around Kaiba's neck. They both rested their full weight against the wall, chests heaving in tandem when Kaiba inserted a knee between his legs. Jounouchi's head spun. He couldn't still his bucking hips.

Was he really going to rub one out with Kaiba? Here? Now?

Maybe. Yeah. Fine.

He reached straight (haha, get it?) for Kaiba's belt. The jingle of the belt buckle echoed through the empty restroom as Jounouchi tried to work it open with one hand. Kaiba sucked on his tongue, seemingly egging him on. As Jounouchi wrenched open his fly, the restroom door opened with a groaning creak. They froze with Jounouchi's fingertips grazing the waistband of Kaiba's underwear and Kaiba's large hands pushing up his t-shirt.

A woman called out in English, startling Jounouchi.

Kaiba bit back a groan and buried his face in Jounouchi's shoulder. He grumbled, part Japanese and part English, before clearing his throat and responding in English.

The woman said something affirmative sounding, and the door shut with a thud.

A few seconds later, Kaiba lifted his head and eased his knee away from Jounouchi's throbbing groin. "Custodial staff," he explained, sounding more gravelly than usual. "She's checking to see if there's anyone here before she starts cleaning."

Jounouchi laughed, withdrawing his hands and banging his head back against the tiles. He stared into the harsh fluorescent lights overhead. "Damn, cockblocked."

Kaiba hummed in agreement and moved to the other side of the small stall to fix his clothing. Jounouchi sighed, readjusted his jeans, and smoothed out his shirt. He tried to will away his erection by thinking about the year's sales numbers or canceled flights or the eighteen-plus hours of grueling air travel. When he felt more under control, he peered at Kaiba. Then he started laughing again.

"What?" Kaiba snapped. His face was flushed, his hair mussed, and his lips swollen. All of which looked delicious on him.

"You. You look exactly like someone who was messing around." He waggled his eyebrows.

Kaiba stalked forward and loomed, eyes dark and piercing. "And you have no sense of self-preservation."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Jounouchi cracked another smile. He rose on his tiptoes and pressed another kiss to Kaiba's lips. Then he gathered his backpack, undid the door lock, and darted out of the restroom.

A tired-looking woman with graying hair barely batted an eye when he passed. That did make him feel a bit guilty about fooling around in there. He muttered an accented "Merry Christmas" to her just as Kaiba exited. She nodded at them before laying down a sign and wheeling her supply cart into the restroom.

"So what now?" asked Jounouchi. "Should we find another restroom?"

Kaiba stared, expression unreadable.

Jounouchi looked away. He readjusted his bag's shoulder straps instead. "Kidding. Think I'm done living on the edge for tonight. I do not want to find out what the inside of an American jail looks like."

Goosebumps rose over his skin when Jounouchi felt Kaiba straighten several of his flyaway bangs. He couldn't help but lean into the soft touch. It was in complete contrast to the hot and heavy petting they'd just engaged in.

"I suppose I'd have no choice but to bail your sorry butt out."

First, no one forced Kaiba Seto to do anything he didn't want to do. Jounouchi knew that for a fact. Second, he couldn't not respond with an innuendo. Kaiba set it up so perfectly!

"Well, it's a pretty sweet ass," drawled Jounouchi. "I'd make it worth your while."

Kaiba flushed. The added splash of color added definition to his high cheekbones, especially when illuminated under the Christmas lights. He dropped his hand, took one step back, and cleared his throat. "We should probably look for a place to settle for the night."

Jounouchi cast a glance at the nearest gate where several travelers had hunkered down along the benches. Unfortunately, the metal armrests prevented them from lying down horizontally. Visions of contorting his body around those uncomfortable seats flooded Jounouchi with horror. Then he remembered passing a small collection of curvy red seats earlier. They were maybe a bit on the short side but no armrests to deal with.

He grabbed Kaiba's hand and started dragging him back to Terminal 3.

"Jounouchi!" cried Kaiba as he stumbled behind.

"C'mon, I know just the place. But we gotta hurry, or all the good spots will be taken!" Jounouchi let loose a wide, encouraging grin and wove his fingers with Kaiba's as they broke into a run.

They found the wavy red seats beyond the same intersection where concourses H and K met—past the bar they drank at earlier, which was now closed and the player piano silent. Other people had the same idea because all but one of the leather benches were occupied. Jounouchi practically leaped over an aisle one to slide into the last empty one facing the window.

Because Jounouchi wouldn't release his hand, Kaiba had no choice but to shimmy between two seats to join him. He tugged hard on Kaiba's arm, and the taller man landed next to him with an oomph. Without responding, Kaiba collapsed against Jounouchi's shoulder, struggling to catch his breath.

Jounouchi flashed a cheeky smile. "You don't mind sharing, yah know, after earlier?"

"Was the running really necessary?"

He poked Kaiba's ribs and teased, "Yeah, this is the last one. What's the matter? Getting slow in your old age?"

Kaiba scowled from under his long bangs, but he didn't move from Jounouchi's side. After another moment, he sat up to gaze out the window. Heat bled from his arm through Jounouchi's thin jacket, straight to his core. Jounouchi suppressed a shiver.

Against the low murmur of other stranded passengers in conversation and the droning of an English newscaster on some 24-hour cable news network playing on a nearby TV, they stared out into the dark. Jounouchi barely made out the thick carpet of snow blanketing the runways. He couldn't tell if it was still snowing. Red and white lights blinked on the buildings standing many, many meters away in the night. Air traffic control towers? But like every other major city in the world, there weren't many stars to be seen.

The strange thrum of homesickness hit him like a wave again. It was funny. For all the years that he had lived away from Domino City, he never missed it as much as he did at this moment.

Jounouchi retrieved his phone and checked LINE, pleased to see his message had finally gone through to Yuugi. The tidal wave of cranky travelers must have overloaded the free airport wifi earlier. In his peripheral vision, he caught Kaiba checking his email and exchanging messages with Mokuba. Jounouchi turned back to his phone and fired a message to Yuugi.

_Jounouchi  
Hey, you'll never guess who I ran into at the airport_

_Yuugi_  
_Here in the US?_  
_I dunno? Varon? Pegasus?_

_Jounouchi  
Hah! It's Kaiba_

_Yuugi_  
_Wow! What are the odds?_  
_You two better get along! (●o≧д≦)o_

_Jounouchi  
Have some faith!_

_Yuugi_  
_Just teasing you. Say hi to Kaiba-kun for me!_

He rolled his head toward Kaiba, pausing to see if he'd push him away. When he didn't, Jounouchi said, "Yuugi says hi."

"As does Mokuba."

The silence that enveloped them afterward was a companionable one. They each fiddled with their phones while not cuddled against each other per se. After an hour, he forced himself to stop for fear of draining his phone's battery before the morning. It'd be inconvenient to go hunt for an outlet for charging. Jounouchi had gotten as comfortable as he could manage, given the circumstances. Soon even his eyelids grew heavy, and he stifled a yawn.

"When's your flight in the morning?" Kaiba asked softly, his breath ruffling Jounouchi's hair.

"Seven, I think." He checked his digital boarding pass. "Yeah, seven-fifteen. You?"

"Half-an-hour after yours."

Despite the bright interior lights, Jounouchi had trouble keeping his eyes open. "Thanks for spending the evening with me, Kaiba."

"Well, I'm stuck with you for the rest of the night."

"Yep. You know it."

With his head pillowed on Kaiba's shoulder, jetlag finally caught up to Jounouchi.

-x-x-x-

He woke to full-body shivers. Someone nearby snored. For a moment, Jounouchi forgot where he was. He blinked owlishly before his vision adjusted to the dark. Right, stranded in an airport by a blizzard he totally wasn't dressed for. The overhead lights were dimmed in consideration of the stranded travelers. The Christmas lights stayed on, and a TV continued to play in the background.

His warm pillow shifted. Then a blanket or comforter suddenly appeared over his shoulders. He huddled under it and snuggled closer to his pillow. Satisfied, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep again.

The next time, he stirred to sunlight and a persistent buzzing against his thigh. Someone groaned under him. Jounouchi raised his weary head, and something slipped off his shoulders. Kaiba's coat, he realized as he stared into the man's haggard face. He took stock of his weird situation, sprawled on top of Kaiba, who was molded around the red seat's curvy contours. Was he dreaming?

Nope. That buzzing was a phone alarm.

Without prompting, he crawled off the other man and caught the wool coat before it hit the ground. Kaiba similarly sat up, grimacing, before finally silencing the alarm.

Jounouchi winced. If Kaiba felt half as out of whack as Jounouchi's back from spending the night in that awkward position. He offered the coat back to Kaiba, who laid it across his lap and scrubbed his face tiredly. Jounouchi turned his back, faced the window, and stretched out the kinks in his spine.

Outside, the sun had risen. Clouds partially obscured it, but he was glad to see it. The runways were clear. Jounouchi whooped in triumphant.

He spun around and beamed at Kaiba. "Breakfast?"

Kaiba said nothing, looking almost as baffled as Jounouchi felt when he first woke up. Then he shrugged and stood to follow.

Given his limited English proficiency and the absence of anything more familiar, Jounouchi gravitated toward the nearest Starbucks. With vigorous pointing and nodding, he secured himself a breakfast sandwich and a cup of coffee. Kaiba opted for coffee alone.

Once again, they sat without exchanging a word as Jounouchi scarfed down his sandwich. But the silence was nowhere as comfortable as the ones from last night. Kaiba sipped his coffee while staring off into the middle distance. Okay, things were definitely more awkward without the weird atmosphere of an airport after hours to distract them. Soon they'd get on their flights. Although they were headed in the same direction, they wouldn't see each other again at the other end.

Jounouchi drummed his fingers against this cup's cardboard sleeve. Should he ask for Kaiba's contact info? Should he kiss him again? He didn't have anything to lose at this point, right?

"Hey, Kaiba."

Blue eyes immediately snapped to him. Jounouchi had to admit it was gratifying to command any of Kaiba's attention.

"I always liked you, you know? Even back in high school," he confessed. It wasn't what he intended to say at first. But too late to take it all back now.

Kaiba stared at him like he'd grown two— No, three heads like his beloved Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. "Why are you telling me this?"

Jounouchi's stomach flip-flopped like crazy. "It's Christmas. It's supposed to be romantic."

"Not in this country. It's a religious holiday."

He shrugged. "I wouldn't know. Japanese, remember? Like you."

Kaiba's gaze drilled into him, probably searching for some trap or sign that Jounouchi was lying. Jounouchi met the challenge for several long beats, then lowered his gaze to check the time. Six-forty. He should head to his boarding gate. He chugged the last of his coffee and tossed the cup at a nearby trash can. It hugged the rim briefly before pitching inward. For that, Jounouchi allowed himself a small smile.

"You don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know. Not like we'll see each other again. Bye, Kaiba." With that, Jounouchi let loose a long exhale before strolling away. Not running away, mind you. More a purposeful jaunting pace. He did have a flight to catch.

As he weaved through the growing crowd of air-travelers, Jounouchi told himself it was the right move. If nothing else, he was letting go of some baggage. Move on from one of those nagging regrets that occasionally kept him up at night. It did feel good to get that off his chest. He straightened his posture, determined to look forward to seeing Yuugi and Anzu and to making the most of his visit. He had missed Christmas, but they made plans to go out for New Year's Eve. Jounouchi would do his best to find someone to share a midnight kiss with.

Out with the old. In with the new. Right?

So caught up in not thinking any further about Kaiba Seto, he never heard his name above the foreign chatter until the man calling him was upon him. Firm hands seized his shoulders and spun him 180 degrees.

"What—"

The rest of his question was lost when Kaiba captured his lips in a fierce and longing kiss. Jounouchi stiffened, then relaxed and leaned into the increasingly familiar press of Kaiba's mouth. Their noses bumped when Kaiba drew away. Jounouchi's lips tingled. He licked them, unsurprised that he couldn't shake the taste of black coffee.

"Why'd you do that?"

"I..." Kaiba stammered. Kaiba freaking Seto actually stammered, and Jounouchi Katsuya could die happy right then and there. "Merry Christmas?"

Unable to help himself, Jounouchi burst into laughter. He laughed until there were tears in his eyes and he gasped for breath. Several passersby shot him a strange look, but most people hurried past without a glance or stopping. When Kaiba started to frown, Jounouchi couldn't not kiss him. He didn't stop until the other man's lips curled upwards again.

-x-x-x-

Jounouchi tossed his seatmate an apologetic smile as he squeezed past her to reach his window seat. Thanks to Kaiba, he was pretty much the last person to board. And that was after his flight was delayed by 30 minutes anyway.

The PA system dinged, and a friendly female voice began speaking. "Welcome passengers to American Airlines Flight..."

Jounouchi slipped his bag under the seat in front of him but kept his phone in hand. Now that he had Kaiba Seto's personal phone number and LINE ID, he'd guard it with his life.

It chirped with a new notification.

_Kaiba_  
_Have a safe flight._

_Jounouchi  
You too_

Then after a moment's consideration, he sent a kissy face sticker.

_Kaiba_  
_I'm deleting your contact._

_Jounouchi  
You wouldn't dare_

_Kaiba_  
_Watch me_

_Jounouchi  
Empty threats!_

"Excuse me, sir."

Jounouchi tore his attention away from the screen. A flight attendant stood in the aisle, gesturing meaningfully to his cellphone. The plane was pulling away from the gate.

"Sorry," he apologized and sheepishly stuffed his phone in his jacket pocket.

It chirped again after the flight attendant moved on. He snuck a look at the latest message before switching the phone to airplane mode.

_Kaiba_  
_We're about to take off._  
_I'll let you know when I land in SF._

Maybe this was what people meant by Christmas miracles. Jounouchi curled against the window and grinned. With a content sigh, he closed his eyes and basked in the morning sun. Soon, he'd be enjoying the awesome Californian weather and reunited with Yuugi and Anzu. Then he could ask them how far San Francisco was from LA. Hopefully, the answer was close enough to squeeze in a trip for New Years'.


End file.
